Dangers

From its entrance to the depths of the dungeon, Permafrost is fraught with danger. All creatures that inhabit this icy structure work in collaboration and are extremely coordinated in their efforts to defend their mistress' keep from unwelcome intruders. Adventurers are advised to travel in groups, for the inevitable dangers may be too much for a lone traveler to endure.

A variety of traps have been set up to further deter intruders. Some of the most deadly are the pit traps, which will plummet the unsuspecting explorer to an icy grave.

Benefits

Ancient knowledge and treasure are rumored to exist within the depths of the keep. The ice dragon, lady Vox, who resides in the furthest reaches of the fortress surrounded by Ice Giant servants, is thought to have a boundless hoard of ancient relics and treasure. While many have ventured to their icy deaths, some adventurers have emerged from the frozen stronghold with pockets full of gold and satchels filled with arcane relics.

Background

Most of the Ice Giants who built this castle have long since departed antonica for the ice shores of Velious. The departure of the giants have left the door open for all manner of arctic creatures that have sought shelter within the keep's cold stone walls, including the legendary Lady Vox, the great white dragon.

The architecture of the keep reflects the size of its builders. Doorways are massive while the ceilings stretch hundreds of feet upwards. Ice Giant culture is carefully depicted in the remaining runes and murals carved into the walls. The keep lies now in a state of general disrepair and its lower levels consist of little more than natural caverns and rough hewn passageways. The outside of the keep, located in the frozen wilderness of Everfrost Peaks, is made of huge blue and gray stone blocks, covered by patches of ice and snow. Snow is piled up high on the roof and against the walls.

The keep is located in an area surrounded by deep glacial crevasses and have steep, vertical walls made of ice and hard-packed snow. Blowing fog and show often create low-visibility conditions. The whole landscape is white, frozen and rough.

It is best to keep to the trails as it is easy to get lost in the harsh whiteout conditions. Many of the various glacial crevasses are too deep and wide to cross, although some have natural or engineered bridges that span over them. A few have small trails that follow dangerously skinny ledges to the bottom. The floors of the crevasses lead to a hidden entrance to a secret tunnel system carved through snow and ice below the keep.

Inside the compound, snow and ice blanket the ground, forming many small sharp bumps and dips, as well as some small hills.

Notable NPCs

Lady Vox
A former member of the Ring of Scale, the legendary Lady Vox was outcast at the same time and, some say, for the same mysterious reasons that prompted Lord Nagafen's exile to the fiery wastelands of Lavastorm.

Lady Vox came to the frozen north centuries ago - before the northmen established Halas and before tribal warfare erupted between the orcs and barbarians. The great white dragon found shelter within the ancient citadel hidden benethe a mountain of compacted ice and snow where she rules over the native creatures in peace and solitude.

Today, the great Lady Vox is regarded as a villain of legend. Countless adventurers, heroes, and anti-heroes alike have sought to engage and defeat the great white dragon of the frozen north - all to no avail. Their tortured remnants eternally encased in blocks of magical ice, can be found in the Lady's chambers deep within permafrost Keep.